Dear Parents and Guardians,

It has been another very busy week at the College.

Our Year 7 and 9 boys completed NAPLAN. As well, we named our 2018 GPS Winter Captains. They are (L-R):

• Jack Alscher (12/FL), Debating
• James Knight (12/MA), Volleyball
• Aydin Varol (12/MA), Rifle Shooting (absent)
• Angus Bell (12/KL), Rugby
• Michael van Walsum (12/JN), Football
• Jack Murtough-Coombes (12/KL), Fencing
• Archie Cuttance (11/FL), Cross Country

The boys should be very proud of their captaincies, as should the following boys who have achieved recent sporting success. Reed Nottage (12/LE), Matur Maluach (12/FL) and Brandon Freire (12/PR) have been selected in the NSW CIS Opens Basketball team. Joshua Roncolato (11/LE) and Tom Barker (12/FL) have qualified for the National Fencing championships in July. Aiden Fisher (12/FL), Jack Rudkins (12/MA), Luca Polvere (12/KL), Lachlan Sheehy (11/JN), Marcus Dadd (12/ME) and Harrison Loeffler (8/ME) represented Newington College at the NSW All Schools Swimming Championships and Ellis Khu (7/JN) competed at the CIS Diving Championships.  Ellis placed first and qualified for the NSW All Schools championships.

It is also great to see our boys successfully competing in school co-curricular activities and events outside school. Congratulations to Benjamin Firth (7/PR) who represented NSW at the 2018 Australian Youth Climbing Championships last weekend. Ben won the Speed Climbing event and was named the Youth C (12-13-year-old) National Speed Champion.  Well done Ben!

Deputy Head of Stanmore (Students) Mr Andy Quinane addressed assembly on Wednesday.  He told our boys they will find him “firm but fair” and that he has high expectations. He regaled the boys with stories of his cricket experiences as a young boy, batting with none other than our own Director of Cricket, Mr Ross Turner.  Mr Quinane told the boys his experiences singing and playing cricket shaped why he loves what he does now. He told the boys he will always endeavor to be kind, generous and to seek out the person behind the sport, the art, the academics or the behaviour. He stressed that he is here to help and to talk to. He is keen to hear about each boy’s passion and to see them pursue it.

“There is only ever one of each us,” Mr Quinane told the boys.  “We are unique. We are neither better nor less than anybody else, but rather the best or least of ourselves”.

We are lucky to have Mr Quinane as part of Newington College.

At assembly, Mr Mick Madden and Major Stephen Briggs encouraged the men of years 10, 11 and 12 to sign up for the annual Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal.  It was encouraging to see long lines of boys, 300 in total, filling out registration cards.  Red Shield Appeal will be held on Sunday, 27 May and we are looking for parent driver volunteers. The opportunity to spend time with your son and his friends, doing something great for the community might just turn out to be a reward rather than a chore.  Click here to see how you can help.

Finally, we have been alerted that there will be major roadworks in and around the northern beaches on Saturday. This will have a direct impact on Newington Rugby families travelling to Narrabeen and Oxford Falls for games.  Please allow extra time for travel so your son is at his venue in plenty of time for his game.

Enjoy your weekend.